North San Diego County Community News Briefs: Ride for AIDS scheduled

SAN DIEGO - The fifth annual Ride 4 AIDS will take place from 7
a.m. to 1 p.m. April 13. The event is co-sponsored by the UC San
Diego AIDS Research Institute and Being Alive San Diego, both
nonprofit organizations.

Ready-to-go cyclists can choose between three courses. There
will be a 10-, 20- and a 50-mile ride. The bike rides accommodate
family, recreational and competitive cyclists.

Proceeds from the event will benefit HIV/AIDS research and
education at UCSD and HIV/AIDS service programs at Being Alive San
Diego. Admission is $30 (10-mile), $35 (25-mile) and $40
(50-mile).

Information: http://www.ride4aids.net.

NAACP chapter to meet today

OCEANSIDE - The North San Diego County NAACP branch 1086 will
hold its annual membership meeting at 7 p.m. today at the Friendly
COGIC, 1836 Dixie St.

The event will feature end-of-year reports for 2007 and the
president's vision for 2008. A vote to select candidates for the
National NAACP's Board of Directors also will take place.

At the conclusion of the meeting, refreshments will be served in
the Friendly COGIC's dining hall.

Jo Murphy, president of Oceanside Chapter 706, will swear in
officers for the next term. Following the meeting, members will
pack Christmas care boxes to send out to members of the U.S. armed
forces in Iraq.

Next month's meeting will take place Jan. 24 at the same time
and place.

Party planned for Jewish singles

SAN DIEGO - The 17th annual "Place to Be" for Jewish singles
will take place from 8 p.m. to midnight Dec. 24 at the Marriott Del
Mar, 11966 El Camino Real.

More than 500 Jewish singles are expected to attend this
fundraiser for the Jewish Community Center Singles Program. There
will be casino tables, music from DJ Robert John, giveaways,
appetizers, desserts and a cash bar.

SAN MARCOS - Those who need mental health support can most often
be those who feel that they can least afford it. The financial
pressures of the holiday season, as well as the stress associated
with too much or not enough family closeness, can be the breaking
point for patients, according to Rosita Cortizo, Psy.D., MFT, M.A.,
a licensed marriage and family therapist and the manager of the
Counseling Department at North County Health Services' San Marcos
Health Center.

A study published in the Journal of Family Practice in 2001
found that people with low incomes and no insurance are nearly
twice as likely as the general population to have mood disorders
and three times as likely to have anxiety disorders. This study,
conducted in Grand Junction, Colo., also found that quality of life
for these patients could be improved if mental health care were
provided in primary care settings.

"Because of this, at North County Health Services we have
integrated mental health services with other NCHS programs and
clinical services so that our pediatricians or family practice
clinicians can spot the signs of depression and steer struggling
patients to our department for help," said Cortizo. "This is so
essential to ensuring that people find the help they need early -
particularly during the holidays."

"More than 90 percent of the patients treated at our health
centers are living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty
level - that's $20,000 for a family of four. It's hard enough to
cope year-round but the holiday season presents unique pressures
and challenges," she said.

Cortizo manages a bilingual department that includes two
bilingual marriage and family therapists, a bilingual
administrative assistant, a bilingual social services coordinator,
two psychologists, a psychiatrist, a medical assistant and a social
services advocate. Thanks to a newly acquired office space, these
clinicians now have more room to see patients and provide services
since moving this month into a renovated office at 150 Valpreda
Road, Suite 106, San Marcos. Call (760) 736-8656.

Library announces history award

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego County Library System has announced a
new award for San Diego County History Fair entrants who use their
public libraries as a resource for their research.

The award is based on an evaluation of how the students used
their public library resources in their research process. Were they
able to expand their knowledge by accessing the library's
databases, discussing a research strategy with a librarian, finding
a specific resources in the library?

San Diego County History Day is the culmination of months of
intense research and creative presentation of a historic California
event. Students in grades four through 12 from throughout the
county participate, developing valuable research and analytical
skills, as they process information they've gathered from research
of primary and secondary resources, then draw their own conclusions
about their topic's significance in history.

This year's San Diego County History Day takes place March 15 at
the San Diego Office of Education. For details, go to
http://www.sdcoe.net/lret2/hss/pdf/HD%2008%20flyer.pdf.

For information about the award, call librarian Barbara Sutton
at (858) 513-2900.

Dancing group plans holiday party

POWAY - The San Diego English Country Dancers will hold a
holiday dance party from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Academy of
Dance, 12227 Poway Road. New dancers are always welcome. Beginners
session starts promptly at 6 p.m. Information:
http://www.sdecd.org; (858) 676-9731, (858) 831-9091.

Humane society seeks donations

OCEANSIDE - The North County Humane Society & SPCA will hold
a special holiday drive Dec. 22 at Kahoots Pet Store.

The humane society is seeking donations of the following items:
dog/cat toys, blankets, towels, carpet squares, leashes, cat/dog
treats and double-knotted rawhide bones. Monetary donations are
also appreciated. Check the humane society Web site at
http://www.nchumane.org for all the items on the group's wish
list.

NCHS accepts donations on a daily basis at its facility at 2905
San Luis Rey Road in Oceanside. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
seven days a week. Call (760) 757-4357, Ext. 1230.

Aircraft association to meet

CARLSBAD - North County chapter 286 of the Experimental Aircraft
Association will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 3 in the Conference Room of
the Airport Administration Building at the McClellan-Palomar
Airport. Steve Carro will discuss his experiences in military
aviation. Guests are welcome. Call (760) 438-7534

Horticultural society to meet Jan. 14

DEL MAR - The San Diego Horticultural Society will meet at 6
p.m. Jan. 14 in the Surfside Race Place at the Del Mar Fairgrounds
on Jimmy Durante Boulevard.

Nan Sterman, author, speaker and host of KPBS-TV's "A Growing
Passion," will speak on "Lessons from Chelsea: International Ideas
for Sustainable Gardens." At the May 2007 Chelsea Flower Show in
Chelsea, England, international designers created gardens that
address problems gardeners face in Southern California, including
limited water supplies, ongoing drought, invasive plants, global
warming and the desire for home-grown tastes.

After a short break, there will be a plant forum where plant
experts will discuss plants and answer questions about plants
brought in by audience members. An opportunity drawing will
follow.

Pre-rounds are at 7:30 p.m. and squares are at 8 p.m.
Information: (760) 724-2262.

Disaster fund receives donations

SAN DIEGO - Through an outpouring of nationwide support, the
Jewish Community Disaster Fund has received donations of more than
$500,000 to date, to provide assistance for victims of the recent
San Diego wildfires.

The Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego's Grants Committee
approved an initial $200,000 grant from the Jewish Community
Disaster Fund to Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) to
support these critical recovery services:

Case management to assess needs and develop a long-term plan
for services.

Free or low-cost therapy sessions.

Services within the burn areas such as resiliency training at
schools for children.

"Our community received amazingly generous donations from people
around the country who expressed their concern for us by
contributing to the Jewish Community Disaster Fund," said Charlene
Seidle, vice president, philanthropy, of the Jewish Community
Foundation. "In the names of these donors, we're happy to support
Jewish and non-Jewish families in their time of need."

The Jewish Community Disaster Fund's second grant provided a
gift of $1,800 to each of the 50 Jewish families who were
identified as having lost a home, or whose homes suffered such
severe damage that they are still uninhabitable. The fund also
granted $1,800 to two long-time employees of the Jewish community
who lost homes.

"These families are facing a myriad of expenses and they may use
these funds to buy Judaica, to purchase Chanukah presents, to
rebuild in any way that's helpful to them," said Grants Committee
Chairman Martin Klitzner. "They'll know the Jewish community
nationwide is behind them."

JFS has reported that the numbers of families seeking its help
has climbed at a much faster pace than during the Cedar Fires and
it expects to require a case manager for at least two years to
support these victims.

The Jewish Community Disaster Fund is being used entirely to
support those impacted by the wildfires. No overhead costs will be
taken from the fund.

Checks designated for the fund can be made payable to the Jewish
Community Foundation and sent to: Jewish Community Disaster Fund,
care of Jewish Community Foundation, 4950 Murphy Canyon Road, San
Diego, CA 92123. Credit card contributions may be processed online
at http://www.jewishinsandiego.org.

For questions about the fund, contact Charlene Seidle at the
foundation at (858) 279-2740 or charlene@jcfsandiego.org or consult
the Foundation's Web site at http://www.jcfsandiego.org.